Lowe joins Williams with immediate effect

Paddy Lowe has joined Williams in the role of Chief Technical Officer, in a move that has been described as a "game changer" by Claire Williams.

Announcing the long-awaited move, Williams says the former Mercedes executive director "will take overall management responsibility for the engineering operation at Grove" while Lowe also becomes a shareholder and joins the company's board of directors in a move described as "underlining his passion and commitment to working with Claire Williams and Mike O'Driscoll to drive the Williams Group forward."

Lowe was hugely influential in helping Mercedes dominate Formula 1 following the introduction of the V6 power units in 2014. After three consecutive championship doubles, Lowe announced his departure in January and has been allowed to start immediately with Williams – the team he first worked for in F1 from 1987-'93 – as he effectively replaces Pat Symonds in the CTO role.

"I've always had a deep respect for Williams – my first team in Formula 1," Lowe said. "It is a huge honor to return in this leadership position and to have the opportunity to become a shareholder. I am extremely motivated to play my part in bringing success back to the team.

"The vision for the future set out by the Williams Board is powerful and has compelled me to join an organization committed to building on its unique legacy and to reaching the pinnacle of Formula 1 once again.

"I'm looking forward to this exciting new phase to my career working with Claire, Mike and Nick [Rose, chairman of the board] and with the rest of this great team – especially Frank himself, who is one of the most committed 'racers' I know!"

Deputy team principal Williams says the appointment of Lowe is a massive development for the team as it looks to return to winning ways.

"I am delighted that the team is welcoming Paddy back to Williams in the role of Chief Technical Officer," Williams said. "Having someone of Paddy's caliber and engineering competence is not only a morale boost for everyone at Williams, but I know it will also significantly support our efforts to return this team back to the front of the grid.

"Our ambitions at Williams are unwavering – we want to win races and championships, but to do that you need the best talent in the business. In Paddy we believe we have just that as well as a leader who will drive change. This is a game changer for us and once again makes us extremely excited about this team's future."